intro to israeli apartheid
TRANSCRIPT
-
8/10/2019 Intro to Israeli Apartheid
1/24
Intro to Israeli ApartheidMcMaster University
Waleed Ahmed
February 28th2014
-
8/10/2019 Intro to Israeli Apartheid
2/24
-
8/10/2019 Intro to Israeli Apartheid
3/24
History
Pre-1917: Historic Palestine under Ottoman Rule 1880s onwards:Jewish immigration begins to historic Palestine
1917:Balfour declaration for creation of national home for Jewish people
in Palestine. Ottomans defeated in WWI
1920-1947:Palestine administered by British under Mandate of Palestine
1947: UN Partition Plan to divide Palestine into Arab and Jewish state
1948:Israel declares statehood; Arab-Israel war breaks out. Jordan
annexes West Bank, East Jerusalem; Egypt controls Gaza strip
1967:Six-day war breaks out between Israel and Arab neighbors. Israel
occupies East Jerusalem, West Bank and Gaza strip (OPT)
1967present: Israel maintains illegal military occupation of the OPT;
continues expansion of Jewish colonies in it
-
8/10/2019 Intro to Israeli Apartheid
4/24
-
8/10/2019 Intro to Israeli Apartheid
5/24
Whats apartheid? Historically, referred to the racist regime implemented in South Africa from
1948 to 1994.Today, its defined as a crime against humanity underinternational law - not a mere analogy
Rome Statuteand UNs Apartheid Convention define it as
inhumane acts which are committed by an institutionalized regime tosystematically oppress and maintain domination of one racial group over
another
Involves: murder, arbitrary arrest, bodily or mental harm, restriction ofmovement, division along racial lines, restriction of peaceful assembly
Three pillars:
1) Demarcating population along racial lines
2) Geographically separating them based on race
3) Draconian laws to ensure domination of one race over the other
Apartheid implemented by Israel in the Palestinian territories is designed to
oppress Palestinian Arabsand give preferential treatment to Israeli Jews
-
8/10/2019 Intro to Israeli Apartheid
6/24
Bantustans of South Africa
-
8/10/2019 Intro to Israeli Apartheid
7/24
The Apartheid Policies
-
8/10/2019 Intro to Israeli Apartheid
8/24
Citizenship and Immigration
Law of Return: Allows any Jew with no prior ties to Israel to immigrate to
Israel and the OPT
Palestinians who were outside Israel before in 1948 or refugees from
1948/1967 are not allowed to return to their homes in Israel or the OPTdespite being indigenous people of the land
Any Jewish person can get Israel citizenship and reside in Israel or OPT
In West Bank and Gaza: Palestinians have no rights to citizenship.In East Jerusalem: Palestinians have to prove their center of life is
Jerusalem to be residents
In Israel: Palestinians have to prove they lived there between 1948-1952
-
8/10/2019 Intro to Israeli Apartheid
9/24
Land Ownership: Palestinian
Enclaves and Jewish Colonies
-
8/10/2019 Intro to Israeli Apartheid
10/24
West Bank split up into 131 disconnected Palestinian Bantustans and over
300 Jewish colonies (settlements + outposts)
Residence in each ethnic enclave is determined by ones racial identity -
Jews in one area, Palestinians in the other
Settlements are for exclusive Jewish useschools, hospitals, roads
everything. 43% of West Bank taken up by settlements
In Israel, 13% of land is owned by JNF who leases to Jews only. 80% isstate-owned and Arabs face numerous obstacles to access it; essentially
barred from use
Land Ownership: Palestinian
Enclaves and Jewish Colonies
-
8/10/2019 Intro to Israeli Apartheid
11/24
Dual Legal Systems
Israel has two legal systems in OPT: Civilian law for Jewish colonists;
Military law for Palestinians
Jewish settlers get democratic protections and reduced penalties compared
to Palestinians for the same crime
No equality before the law. Israeli military brutally abuses Palestinians;
detains activists for extensive periods without trail
-
8/10/2019 Intro to Israeli Apartheid
12/24
Restriction on Movement Segregated Apartheid Roads: Connecting
Jewish colonies to Israellargely off limits to
Palestinians. Alternative system of dirtstreets and inferior roads for them. Further
fragmentation of OPT
Separation Wall: 85% percent build in West
Bank. Cuts off Palestinians from each otherand from the Jews. 85% of Jews live on
Western side of wall
Check points: 85 manned checkpoints, over
100 flying checkpoints. Severely restricts
movementlong delays to school/work, over39 deaths in ambulances. Jewish settlers
arent subject to them
Complex permit system applied to
Palestinians only; Jewish colonizers notsubject to it
-
8/10/2019 Intro to Israeli Apartheid
13/24
Separation Wall
-
8/10/2019 Intro to Israeli Apartheid
14/24
Impact of Apartheid roads
-
8/10/2019 Intro to Israeli Apartheid
15/24
Check Points
-
8/10/2019 Intro to Israeli Apartheid
16/24
Siege of Gaza
-
8/10/2019 Intro to Israeli Apartheid
17/24
Siege of Gaza
Israel evacuated settlements and moved military to borders in 2005
Severe economic siege implemented since 2007 since Hamas election; Egyptcomplicit in siege and blocks southern border.
Air: constant military patrol by drones and jets - psychological torture
Land: Buffer -zone extends up to 1,500 meters into the strip. Arabs shot at for tryinguse their own land; 17 children shot since 2010. 35% of agricultural land inaccessible. Regular leveling operations by IDF to destroy produce.
Water: Fisherman can use only 3 nautical miles from shore. Restricted from use of85% of maritime area entitled under Oslo
Power plants shut down due to fuel shortages. Sewage treatment severely broken.90% of water is unfit for drinking. Water aquifer will be unusable by 2016.
Gaza will be unlivable by 2020 according to UN. Collective punishment of 1.7 millionGazans.
-
8/10/2019 Intro to Israeli Apartheid
18/24
Farming and Water Use
Israel only allocates 20% of water for
Palestinians. Palestinian consumption is 70
liters/day (below WHOs 100 litre/day rule).
Jewish settlers using 4 times.
Palestinians farmers in West Bank need permits
to access their farms in the lush seam-zone.
Only 40% of families could access their
farmland by 06.
Jordan Valley declared closed military zone. In
Gaza, 35% of agricultural is inaccessible
Jewish settlers face no restrictions of farming or
agriculture
-
8/10/2019 Intro to Israeli Apartheid
19/24
Demographic Engineering
Drobles Plan, 1981
The civilian presence of Jewish communities is vital for the security of thestateThere mustnot be the slightest doubt regarding our intention to holdthe areas of Judea and Samaria [i.e. West Bank] foreverState anduncultivated land should be seized immediately for the purpose ofsettlement in the areas located among and around the population centreswith the aim of prevent ing as much as po ss ib le the establ ishment ofanoth er Arab state in these terr i tor ies. It w i l l be dif f icu l t for th e [Arab]
m inor i ty to form a regional conn ection and pol i t ical uni ty wh en spl i t by
Jewish colon ies
Jerusalem municipal plan 2000: stated goal of maintaining ademographic balance of 70 percent Jews to 30 percent Arabs in thecity
-
8/10/2019 Intro to Israeli Apartheid
20/24
Propaganda Quiz
-
8/10/2019 Intro to Israeli Apartheid
21/24
Israel is the only democracy in the Middle East! Arabs even serve in the Israeli
cabinet and have rights to vote just like Jews! Hows this apartheid?
In South Africa there were white-only beaches and numerous other facilities
reserved for whites only. You dont see any such signage or rules in the case of
Israeli apartheid.
Palestinians live under such deplorable conditions because they are ruled by the
Palestinian Authority and Hamas. The PA is corrupt.
Theres is no such thing as Palestine state
Responding to Propaganda
-
8/10/2019 Intro to Israeli Apartheid
22/24
Responding to Propaganda
Palestinians needs to recognize Israels right to exist before the peace process
can move forward.
Gaza is ruled by Hamas which has been declared to be a terrorist organization.
It is always launching rockets at Israel and Israel thus it has the right to defend
itself.
Why do you keep calling Gaza as Occupied Territory? Israel evacuated the strip
in 2007 and its under Hamas control. Israel bears no responsibility
-
8/10/2019 Intro to Israeli Apartheid
23/24
BDSBoycotts, Divestments,
Sanctions BDS call made by 170 community groups against Israel until it complies with
international law
Three demands:
1) End Israeli occupation of Arab lands occupied in June 1967
2) Recognize equal rights for Palestinians with Israeli citizenship3) Respecting, protecting and promoting the rights of Palestinian refugee toreturn to their homes as stipulated in UN Resolution 194
BDS is non-violent. Goal is to economically and socially isolate Israel intocompliance.
Boycotts: Involves Consumer, Academic and Cultural boycotts
Divestments: Institutions taking investments out of Israel
Sanctions: Sovereign states/national bodies cut ties with Israel until it complies
-
8/10/2019 Intro to Israeli Apartheid
24/24
Dos and Donts of BDS
Focus boycotts on corporations complicit in supporting occupation and
settlements in OPT.
Identify high offenders; blanket boycotts are ineffective
Do your research. Theres a lot of misinformation out there get to the
source.
Let the corporation know you are boycotting them
CJPME is a great resource. Work with them on their campaigns.
Boycott, Dont hate